To tell or not to tell?

TheGooch · Feb 21, 2015

I am having surgery the end of March and the only reason why I told my doc's office I was an RN is because they give discounts to nurses. I don't ever tell someone I am a nurse. I just let them do their job. If I have any complaints I would follow whatever procedure the facility I am at states. I am no different than the little 80 yr old lady down the hall. :-)

Yes, you are different than that 80 year old lady down the hall and every other non nurse. You are receiving a discount for your surgery because of the profession you are in.

whofan, ADN, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2015

i did not tell anyone when I had my surgery last summer, but it did come while I was in the PACU. I was asked by the nurse while I was still groggy if I needed pain medicine before they sent me to the floor, and I blurted out, "yeah, cause orders take forever!". I heard giggling from the nurses station and someone said "she must be a nurse". Other than that I did not tell anyone, but the next morning when the surgeon came in he proceeded to tell my nurse that I too was a nurse.

prmenrs, RN · Feb 21, 2015

I'm a NICU nurse (or @ least, I used to be). Whatever is going on with me is "grown-up stuff", therefore, I have a knowledge deficit. I do, however, speak the lingo, so sooner or later, they will know I'm a nurse. I do reinforce the baby nurse thing, so I get to know more about my problem.

When it's my son who's sick (he's a former premie who is now an adult w/some special needs), I'm pretty quick to spell out his problem/s and my concerns and ask for what I think needs to happen. Most of the time, they agree and give it to me. If they don't, they explain why more thoroughly than they might otherwise. They might think I'm nuts, but I sure don't care.

Anonymous865 · Feb 21, 2015

As "just a patient" I am amazed that you wouldn't tell your physicians and nurses that you are a nurse. As Libby1987 stated, it helps them understand your starting knowledge level and helps them tailor their teaching to your level.

Your education and experience is just another piece of data that will help your healthcare provider give you the appropriate care. I'm not saying you should be snarky about it or expect it to get you special attention. I just don't understand why you would hide it.

I would think it would be nice to know that you are caring for a nurse, so you can say you are going to insert a foley catheter instead of telling the patient you are going to be inserting a tube where they wee-wee. :***:

I would think as the patient you would appreciate someone using correct terminology instead of talking down to you. You can always say to your nurse/physician, "I know nothing about xyz, so start with the basics." Knowing you are a nurse will tell them that you are capable of understanding information in greater detail and that you have a basic knowledge of anatomy/physiology that they can build on.

I know I wanted to scream when a gyn explained to me that my "lady parts" were in my "belly." I looked at her and said, "I'm not familiar with the term 'lady parts.' Are you refering to the uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes?" If I could avoid having the providers speak to me at a 5th grade level by telling them I'm a nurse, I would do it in a heart beat. If they say something I don't understand, I can ask for clarification.

As a PP stated, it's your choice. I'm just surprised at how often this question is asked by nurses on here and how the most common response is don't tell.

featherzRN, MSN · Feb 21, 2015

I don't say anything at all, but I guarantee they'll guess if I'm in a hospital or talking with a provider for more than five minutes. The speech will just give it away (as will checking out your IV bags, asking specific questions about your medication timing, pointing out your IV appears to be infiltrating, etc). :) But if I am the patient, I try my level best (probably overdone, even) to not be obnoxious about it. I don't want anyone concerned about being judged while taking care of me! :)

Ayvah, RN · Feb 21, 2015

I would think it would be nice to know that you are caring for a nurse, so you can say you are going to insert a foley catheter instead of telling the patient you are going to be inserting a tube where they wee-wee. :***:
...
I know I wanted to scream when a gyn explained to me that my "lady parts" were in my "belly." I looked at her and said, "I'm not familiar with the term 'lady parts.' Are you refering to the uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes?" If I could avoid having the providers speak to me at a 5th grade level by telling them I'm a nurse, I would do it in a heart beat.

Were you being seen by interns or students? No one I know talks to any adult patient like that. Real names of body parts are always used and then expanded on if needed. The confusion you stated about which 'lady part' was being referred to is just one of many reasons why no one should talk to any patient that way.

Mandychelle79, ASN, RN · Feb 21, 2015

I try not to say anything but Im usually only in the ER/ Quick Clinic. I even said to my husband about not disclosing I was a nurse in the ER and he said well babe, most dont say I flushed my eye with about 500 cc's of saline ( allergic reaction). My daughters psychiatrist and therapist both know I work inpatient psych. It is part of the family dynamics and I do think that it helps me advocate for my daughter. When I said hey she does fine on the name brand of this med but not on the generic (she reacts to the inactive ingredients) there was no problem with the doctor ordering what I asked for. Our PCP orders what I ask for, but did before I was an RN. When my daughter was in Childrens it did shock me that when I was talking to the resident that I confused her when I asked about the foreign body that was lodged in her esophagus (roast beef) and she said do you mean the food. The teaching I got there was on a very basic level, which helped my husband understand.

elkpark · Feb 21, 2015

Yes, you are different than that 80 year old lady down the hall and every other non nurse. You are receiving a discount for your surgery because of the profession you are in.

Discount?? What discount? You get discounts???

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2015

As "just a patient" I am amazed that you wouldn't tell your physicians and nurses that you are a nurse. As Libby1987 stated, it helps them understand your starting knowledge level and helps them tailor their teaching to your level.
Your education and experience is just another piece of data that will help your healthcare provider give you the appropriate care. I'm not saying you should be snarky about it or expect it to get you special attention. I just don't understand why you would hide it.
I would think it would be nice to know that you are caring for a nurse, so you can say you are going to insert a foley catheter instead of telling the patient you are going to be inserting a tube where they wee-wee. :***:
I would think as the patient you would appreciate someone using correct terminology instead of talking down to you. You can always say to your nurse/physician, "I know nothing about xyz, so start with the basics." Knowing you are a nurse will tell them that you are capable of understanding information in greater detail and that you have a basic knowledge of anatomy/physiology that they can build on.
I know I wanted to scream when a gyn explained to me that my "lady parts" were in my "belly." I looked at her and said, "I'm not familiar with the term 'lady parts.' Are you refering to the uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes?" If I could avoid having the providers speak to me at a 5th grade level by telling them I'm a nurse, I would do it in a heart beat. If they say something I don't understand, I can ask for clarification.
As a PP stated, it's your choice. I'm just surprised at how often this question is asked by nurses on here and how the most common response is don't tell.

This is why I think it's to my benefit that providers know. Several years ago, when I went in for a colonoscopy I didn't tell them at first. Then when they started to talk to me like I was a child and explain that they were going to put an IV in "like a little straw that stays in your veins" and "give you medicine that makes you sleepy", I said "enough, I'm certified in conscious sedation, I know what you're going to do, let's talk versed and fentanyl." Even if I wasn't a nurse, they should have been able to see in my medical records that I was a seasoned patient and had probably had a few IVs in my day. Though I will say that I totally get that they probably encounter seasoned patients who still don't get it. Then when I woke up with IVF running and a nasal cannula on, the nurse in me came out.

And the last time I was in the hospital, when I was being worked up for DI, when they came in and said "we're going to put a Foley in because we need accurate Is and Os" I said "no, you will bring me a hat and I will pee in it." Actually what happened was an intern came in and asked me if I knew that a water deprivation test involved. I said "I've done one on a three year old." She said "that must have been hard with the Foley." I said "we didn't use a Foley." She said "well we're going to use one on you." And I said "no, you are not." Of course this was in August so all the baby doctors were around and when I was transferred to the ICU (because it makes total sense to schedule an admission for a test that involves q 1 hr labs to a floor that won't do q 1hr anything and a 26 year old who drove herself in and walked onto the floor clearly requires an ICU level of care) the interns down there tried to order a Foley again. Fortunately, the nurses (before they even told me) said to them "this is a normal mobile 26 year old, we are not putting a Foley in her."

Trauma Columnist · Feb 21, 2015

I'm an APRN and credentialed at all the hospitals. Like Elkpark, I avoid any medical care and fortunately am very healthy.

However, my 2 y/o granddaughter was in the PICU for 3 months last year and my son and DIL were very happy I was able to explain everything to them and I usually stayed the night and took care of her - she was extremely ill and ended up with trach/PEG and the nurses were very comfortable with me suctioning her, turning her, changing her, etc., and it made her more comfortable having a familiar face. I do want to add though that I always asked first and since its a childrens tertiary hospital, patient centered care is the focus and I cooperated with everything and got "checked off" on all care I did before I did.

I recently ran into one of the PICU APRNs and she said how she wished other families would get involved too in the care of their children. As it was expected that my granddaughter would go home with trach/vent/PEG we all were preparing to help care for her at home.

Anonymous865 · Feb 21, 2015

Were you being seen by interns or students? No one I know talks to any adult patient like that. Real names of body parts are always used and then expanded on if needed. The confusion you stated about which 'lady part' was being referred to is just one of many reasons why no one should talk to any patient that way.

Not interns or students. It was an attending. The attending was the Director of their residency program! Can you imagine the quality of residents they are producing with her as an example?

TriciaJ, RN · Feb 21, 2015

When I stayed in hospital with my boyfriend who was having surgery, my initial plan was not to tell them I am a nurse. Just let them do their job. After I slept with one eye on the pulse ox because he was desatting with no oxygen, watched them twice trying to IV push a med through a saline lock without flushing, I couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer. On the third postop day I requested a bath and linen change, because it hadn't been done. I realized I'd have to advocate for his care.

The downside, when I was having surgery, they found out from my chart that I'm an RN. People kept wanting to stay in my room and talk shop with me, and I just wanted some sleep.

I've cared for RNs as patients and found them usually quite delightful. If someone informs me in a somewhat haughty and hostile way that she's a "nurse", it usually turns out she isn't actually a nurse.